Multiring liquid fuel burner



Sept. 25, 1934. w. E. TAFT I MUL'IIRING LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed May 51, 1930 s oooooooooooow 7 oooooooooooov fi l O O O O O O OM Q OG O Q @oooodo oooomo n oo ooooowooo oo I EEO r I Patented Sept. 25, 1934 MULTIRING LIQUID FUEL BURNER William Edward Taft, Athol, Mass.

Application May 31, 1930, Serial No. 457,853

19 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid fuel burners wherein the liquid fuel; as oil, is vaporized in a trough or channel and the vapors are burned between spaced and perforated-combustion tubes or chimneys which surround and upstand above the top opening of the channel.

It is now common to construct burners of this general type as is shown, for instance, in my copending application Serial No. 355,066, filed April 15, 1929, wherein the oil is vaporized in a middle channel and some of the vapor is burned between combustion tubes located thereabove and some of the vapor is conducted into an outer vapor channel and is burned between combustion tubes located above said outer. channel. The inner channel functions to vaporize the oil and theouter channel constitutes only a vapor distributor channel after the burner is in steady operation.

In designing burners of this general type adapted to consume large quantities of oil and give off much heat, especially for use in house-heating boiler-furnaces, it has been proposed to provide a number. of vapor channels arranged concentrically with-each other around an innermost vaporizing channel and communicating ducts extended in series between the vaporizing channel and the outer vapor channels. It has'been found, however, that such an arrangement has not been commerciallysuccessful since little-vapor reached the outer vapor channels and thus the added outer vapor channels did not materially increase the heating effect of'the burnerto the extent expected. As a consequence, it has been the custom, where more than two channels have been provided, to vaporize oil in each channel, thereby using each channel as a vapor generating channel. This arrangement has'been' in general unsatisfactory'because of the increased surfaces on which carbon deposits can form and collect as the oil vaporizes, and for otheressential reasons.

It is an object of the presentinvention to provide an oil burner having a plurality. of vapor channels and a vaporizing channel which is common to all of the vapor channels, the burner being so arranged that vapor is supplied from the vaporizing channel equally to all of the vapor channels so that good combustion isprovided in the combustion tubes associated with all of the channels and so thatthere is no of any one channel.

In carrying out my invention, I so locate the.

vaporizing channel with respect to the vapor channels that vapor can flow independently from ie vaporizing channel. into. each vapor channel appreciable' starving" ing channel into one vapor channel as into another vapor channel, thereby insuring good distribution of vapor to the vapor channels; and this constitutes a further object of the invention. V

, Another object of the invention is to locate the vaporizing channel between and concentric with and equally spaced from two vapor channels, with vapor passages independently connecting the vaporizing, channel with the vapor channels. g

A further object of the invention is generally to improve the construction and operation .of liquid fuel-burners of the type herein set forth.

Fig. 1 is a plan View. of the base of a burner. embodying the present invention. 7

. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the burner taken along line 22 of Fig. l. v v

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail taken along line 33 of Fig. 1.

.The burner herein shown as embodying the present invention comprises a circular base having the annular open-top fuel-vaporizing channel or trough 10 provided with outer and inner upstanding side walls 12 and ,14 respectively and the bottom wall 16. Annular vapor channels-l8 and 20 are concentric with and are equally spaced radially from the vaporizing channel 10. The outer open: top vapor channel 18 consists of outerand inner upstanding side walls 22 and 24, respectively, and thebottom wall 26. The inner open. top vapor channel20 has similar upstanding-outer and inner side -walls27 and 28,-respectively, and

the bottom wall 30. The inner wall 28 surrounds" an air passage 32 which is open at the topa-nd bottom of the base so that air for combustion can pass upwardly therethrough. The vaporizing channel 10-is wide in radial extent while the vapor channels 18 and 20 are narrow in radial extent. The vapor channels 18 and 20 are T391 dially spaced from the vaporizing channel 10-by annular passages 34 and 36, respectively, which are open at the top and also at the bottom of the burner base so as to admit the passage of combustion' air upwardly between the channels. The. channel 18-isconnected with the vaporizingchannel 10 by six webs 38 which are equi-angularly spaced in and extend across the air passage 34. Said webs have vapor passagesor ducts 40 therein l by which the vapor generated in the vaporizing channel 10 can flow outwardly into the vapor channellB. Thev vaporizing channel 10'and the inner vapor channel 20 are similarly connected by three webs 42 which are locatedin theannular air passages 36 and are equi-angularly spaced thereinand are disposed midway between the webs- 38.- Said webs 42have passages or ducts l4. therein which conduct vaporfrom the vaporizing channel 10 into the inner vapor channel 20. Liquid oil is conducted into the bottom of the va porizing channel 10' at a plurality of equally spaced: points therein and, as here shown, three oil pipes 46 extend through the bottom wall 16 and open into the vaporizing channel at equiangularly spaced points therein which preferably are so located as to maintain a uniform distribution of vapor in said vaporizing channel with respect to the passages 40 and 44. The pipes 46 are connected by means, not shown, to a suitable source of oil supply that is or may be common with the particular type of burner. The open top of the vaporizing channel 10 is closed by a metal generator cap 48. Said cap is in the form of a flat ring and has a circular recess 50 in its inner face in which the top of the wall 14 is located so that the ring is seated upon said wall and has a portion which extends somewhat into the top portion of the vaporizing channel. Said cap extends horizontally over the major portion of said channel and has an outer edge 52 which confronts and is terminated close to the inner face of the wall 12 so as to provide a relatively narrow annular passage 54 out of which vapor can pass. The cap 48 is provided with an inner circular opening 56, the wall of which is practically flush with that face of the wall l4 that forms a part 4 of the air passage 36, so that the opening 56 is in register with said air passage. The outer portion of the cap 48 is provided with an annular seat which supports the bottom end of an upstanding perforated combustion tube 58 which thus forms a continuation of the passage 54. The

wall is provided with a seat which supports a similar perforated tube 60 in concentric spaced relation with the tube 58 so that an annular combustion chamber 62 is provided therebetween.

- Similar inner and outer concentric combustion tubes 64 and 66 are seated upon the walls 22 and 24 of the vapor channel 18 and extend upwardly thereabove and provide an annular combustion chamber 68 in which the vapor rising from said channel 18 is burned. Other outer and inner concentric spaced combustion tubes 70 and '72 are seated on and upstand above the walls 26 and 28 of the inner vapor channel 20 and form an annular combustion chamber 74 which is in communication with said channel 20'.

The top of the inner tube 58 is closed by a cap 76 which preferably although not necessarily is removable from the top of the tube. The space between the tubes 58 and 70 is closed by an annular ring 78 which preferably is removably seated upon the tops of said tubes. Screws 80 pass through said ring and are threaded into the generator cap 48so that the ring '78 and the tube 58 are united and can be removed as a unit for a, cleaning purposes. Another ring 82 is seated on the tops of the tubes 64 and 60. The cover '76 and the rings 78 and 82 close the tops of the air passages that are surrounded by the tubes and thus cause the air to pass through the perforations 84 of the tubes and mix with the vapor in the combustion chambers 74, 62 and 68, which chambers are open at the top so that the hot products of combustion can pass upwardly out of the burner.

'With the arrangement of the vaporizing and vapor channels herein described, the vapor generated in the vaporizing channel 10 passes independently into each of the vapor channels and the vaporizing channel is equi-distant from the two vapor channels so that both channels receive a full amount of vapor whereby the combustion is good at all of the channels. Thus the starving of anyone channel is prevented.

Many of the structural features of the burner herein described, such for instance, as the construction of the vaporizing channel 10, the cap 48, the cover rings 76, '78, 72, are claimed in my above identified application and do not comprise a part of the present invention except in combination with the novel construction and arrange- .ment herein described.

Heat from the vaporizing channel is transferred through the walls of the conduits 88 and 42, and also through interposed integral ribs 86 to the vapor channels to heat and vaporize the oil therein, thus to facilitate the starting of the burner in operation. When in steady operation, there is liquid oil only in the middle, or vaporizing, channel.

I claim:

1. A liquid fuel burner having means providing a vaporizing channel in which the liquid fuel is vaporized, a plurality of vapor channels which are normally free from liquid fuel when the burner is in operation and which receive fuel vapor from said vaporizing channel, means to admit liquid into said vaporizing channel only, and means to conduct the fuel vapor from said vaporizing channel. independently into each of said vapor channels, all of said channels being open at the top and having air passages therebetween, and combustion tubes surrounding and upstanding above the open top of said channels and in which the vapor rising out of said channels is burned.

2. A liquid fuel burner having means providing a vaporizing channel in which the liquid fuel is vaporized, a plurality of vapor channels which are normally free from liquid fuel when the burner is in operation and which receive fuel vapor from said vaporizing channel, means to admit liquid into said vaporizing channel only, and means to conduct the fuel vapor from said vaporizing channel independently into each of said vapor channels, said vaporizing channel being spaced equally from all of said vapor channels, all of said channels being open at the top and having air passages therebetween, and combustion tubes surrounding and upstanding above the open top of said channels and in which the vapor rising out of said channels is burned.

3. A liquid fuel burner having a plurality of vapor channels, a vaporizing channel which is equally spaced from all of said vapor channels and has ducts which establish vapor communication independently between said vaporizing channel and each of said vapor channels, and means to admit liquid fuel into said vaporizing channel only, whereby the fuel is vaporized in said vaporizing channel and vapor thereof is conducted independently to each vapor channel, each channel having a vapor outlet, and combustion tubes surrounding and upstanding above said outlets in which the vapor is burned.

4. A liquid fuel burner comprising a base having three concentric open top circular channels with concentric air passages between the channels, the intermediate channel being larger in radial extent than said narrow outer and inner channels and constituting a channel in which the liquid fuel is vaporized, means to admit liquid fuel into said intermediate vaporizing channel only, said vaporizing channel having a plurality of peripherally spaced passages which conduct vapor to flow from said vaporizing channel into said outer channel, said vaporizing channel also having other circumferentially spaced inner passages which conduct vapor from said vaporizing channel into said inner channel, and combustion tubes surrounding and upstanding above the top openings of all of said channels and providing combustion chambers. therebetween: in. which the vapor rising out of said channelsisburned;

5. A liquid fuel burner comprising a. base having three concentric open top. circular channels. with concentric air passages. between: the channels, the intermediate channel being larger in. radial extent than said narrow outer and. inner channels and: constituting a channel in whichthe liquid fuel is vaporized, means to admitgliquid: fuel into said intermediate vaporizing channel:

only, said. vaporizing channel having a. plurality of peripherally spaced. passages which. conduct. vapor toflow from'said. vaporizing channel into said outer channel, said vaporizing channel. also: having other circumferentially spaced inner pas.- sages which conduct vapor from said vaporizing channel into said inner channel, and'combustion. tubes surrounding and upstanding above the top openings of all of said channels and providing. combustion chambers therebetween. in which the Vapor rising out of said channels is burned, said outer and inner vapor passages being staggered with respect to each other whereby to insure a. gooddistribution of vapor independently into said. outer and inner channels.

6. A liquid fuel burner comprising a base having three concentric open top circular channels with concentric air passages between the channels, the intermediate channel being larger in radial extent than said narrow outer and. inner channels and constituting a channel in which the liquid fuel is vaporized,'means to admit liquid fuel into said intermediate vaporizing channel. only, said vaporizing channel having a plurality of peripherally spaced passages which conduct;

vapor to flow from said vaporizing channel: intosaid outer channel, said vaporizing channel. also having other circumferentially spaced inner pas-- sages which conduct vapor from said vaporizing channel into said inner channel, and combustion.v

tubes surrounding and upstanding above the top openings of all of said channels. and providing combustion chambers therebetween in which the vapor rising out of said channels-isburned, said outer and inner vapor passages being staggered with respect to each other whereby to insure a good distribution of vapor independently into.

said outer and inner channels, and said fuel ad mitting means admitting liquid: fuel into said vaporizing channel at are staggered with respect to said inner and outer vapor passages.

"I. A liquid fuel burner comprising a burner base having three concentric radially spaced end less open top'channels which have concentric-air passages therebetween, the intermediate channel porizing channel and said outer and-inner oha'n-' nels, the conduits communicating with said outerchannel having openings into said vaporizing channel which are staggered with respect to the similar openings of the conduits communicating with said inner channel, means admitting liquid fuel into said vaporizingchannel at'a plurality of angularly spacedlocations, a cap seatedupon said base-and overlying a substantial portion of' the top opening of said vaporizing channel and providing said channel with. an annular opening of reduced radial extent, and combustion tubes sura plurality of locations which rounding said: channel: opening andv upstanding thereabove and providing combustion. chambersin which. the fuela rising through said opening is. burned.

8. A burner of the class described. having a base, a plurality ofi pairs. of; spaced,. concentric, combustion. tubes forming. radially spaced. interconnected; inner, outer. and-intermediate combuss tionchambers withaintermediate air chambers between. adjoining. combustion chambers and a; central air chamber within. the inner combustion tube, a plurality of. pairs. of. annular, spaced, upstanding walls on. said" base presenting. between. them concentric, spaced, inner, outter. and. intermediate fuel chambers underlying. and communicating: each with its respective combustion: chamber; the intermediate fuel. chamber being. of greater width thanthe. others', said base having openingsto supply: air to thecentral air chamber; the outer air chamber. and: the intermediate air chamber, a: wall extending from; one of the upstandingwallsof said intermediate fuel chamber and overlying the latter andunderlying theintermediateair chamber but having its peripheral edges spaced from the opposite upstanding. wall ofsaid intermediate fuel chamber to provide an annular/opening. aligned with the overhead combustionchamber, and: means for supplying; liquid. fuel. to the intermediate fuel chamber.

9. A burnerof the class: described having a base providedwith a plurality of. spaced interconnected fuel. chambers comprising-a relatively, widechamber. anda. relatively narrow chamber oneach opposite side thereof, said burnerhaving, a plurality of pairsof combustion tubes formingspaced: combustion chambers communicating one with each; fuel chamber and having an intermediate air. chamber between each. adjoining combustion chamber andialso an. air chamber within said in-- ner combustion tube, said base having openings to supply air tosaid several air chambers, said intermediate, Wide fuel chamber having a wall overlyingsthe. chamber but underlying apart of the air. chamber next adjacent saidinner air chambensaidp wall being spaced from the opposite. walls of saidfuel'chamber'toprovide anopeningthereat into the overhead combustionxchamher, and, means forsupplying, liquid fuel to the intermediate fuel chamber.

10. A combustion tubeburner having a base provided with open, concentric, relatively narr.ow,.fuel' channels, a spaced, intermediate, wider, fuel channeha removable coverplate partly-covering the intermediate fuel: channel but leaving"- surrounding and upstanding; relation to each of v said. relatively'narrow fuel channels, means for supplying. liquid fuel to. the intermediate chan- 'nel, and fuel; supply means between: the intermediate and other fuelchannela, V p

- 111.. A combustion tube. burnen having a base provided with 'open,..annular,. concentric, relativelyv narrow; fuel channels, a. spaced}, inter-' mediatawider, fuelchanneLa wall1partly cover-. ingflthe intermediate fuel channel-but leaving a relatively-narrow openingatthe top; thereof, a pair of. combustion tubes in. surrounding .and, up-

standing. relation: torthex'saidinarrow opening; and other pairs of combustion-tubes: in similar relation;to;said"narrow fuel channels:

12. A burner of the class described having a base and a' plurality of pairs of spaced concentric combustion tubes comprising radially spaced interconnected inner, outer and intermediate combustion chambers with intermediate air chambers between adjoining combustion chambers, a plurality of pairs of spaced, annular, upstanding Walls on said base presenting between them concentric, spaced, inner, outer and intermediate fuel chambers underlying and communicating each with its respective combustion chamber, the intermediate fuel chamber being of greater width than the others, saidbase having openings to supply air to said intermediate air chambers, a wall extending from one of the upstanding walls of said intermediate fuel chamber and overlying the latter and underlying one of said intermediate air chambers but having its peripheral edges spaced from the opposite upstanding wall'of said intermediate fuel chamber to provide an annular opening aligned with the overhead combustion chamber, and means for supplying liquid fuel to the intermediate fuel chamber.

13. A burner of the class described having a base provided with a plurality of spaced fuel chambers comprising a relatively wide chamber and a relatively narrow chamber on each opposite side thereof, said burner having a plurality of pairs of combustion tubes forming spaced combustion chambers communicating one with each fuel chamber and having an intermediate air chamber between each adjoining combustion chamber, said intermediate wide fuel chamber having a wall overlying the chamber but underlying a part of one of said intermediate air chambers and spaced from the opposite side walls of said fuel chamber to provide an opening thereat into the overhead combustion chamber, means for supplying liquid fuel to the wider chamber, and fuel ducts connecting the wider chamber with both the remaining fuel chambers.

14. A burner of the class described having a base and a plurality of pairs of spaced concentric, combustion tubes forming spaced, inner and outer combustion chambers with an intermediate air chamber between said combustion chambers, a plurality of pairs of spaced, annular, upstanding walls on said base presenting between them concentric, spaced inner and outer fuel chambers underlying and commimicating respectively with said inner and outer combustion chambers, the outer fuel chamber being of greater width than the inner chamber, said base having an opening between the two spaced fuel chambers to supply air to said air chamber, a wall overlying the outer wider fuel chamber and extending from the upstanding wall thereof next adjacent said air opening but having its peripheral edges spaced from the opposite upstanding wall of the wider fuel chamber to provide an annular opening aligned with the overhead combustion chamber, means for supplying liquid fuel to the outer. chamber, and a fuel supply duct connecting the two chambers.

15. A burner of the class described having a base and a plurality of spaced, inner and outer combustion chambers with an intermediate air chamber between said combustion chambers, said base having inner and outer fuel chambers communicating respectively with said inner and outer combustion chambers, the outer fuel chamber being wider than the inner chamber and having a wall overlying the chamber but underlying a part of said intermediate air chamber and spaced from the opposite side walls of the fuel chamber to provide an opening thereat into the overhead combustion chamber, means for supplying liquid fuel to the outer chamber, and a duct for supplying fuel from the outer to the inner chamber.

16. A burner of the class described having a base and a plurality of pairs of spaced, concentric, combustion tubes forming spaced combustion chambers with an intermediate air chamber between the combustion chambers, a plurality of pairs of spaced, annular, upstanding walls on said base presenting between them concentric, spaced, fuel chambers underlying and communicating each with one of the combustion chambers, one of said fuel chambers being of greater width than the other, said base having an opening between the two spaced fuel chambers to supply air to said air chamber, a wall overlying the wider fuel chamber and extending from the upstanding wall thereof next adjacent said air opening but having its peripheral edges spaced from the opposite upstanding wall of the wider fuel chamber to provide an annular opening aligned with the overhead combustion chamber, means for supplying liquid fuel to the wider chamber, and a fuel duct for supplying fuel from the wider chamber to the relatively narrow one.

17. A burner of the class described having a base and a plurality of pairs of combustion tubes forming spaced combustion chambers with an intermediate air supply chamber between said combustion chambers, said base having a plurality of fuel chambers underlying and communicating each with one of said combustion chambers, one of said fuel chambers being wider than the other and having a wall overlying the chamber and underlying a part of said intermediate air chamber, said wall providing an uncovered opening into the overhead combustionchamber adjacent the opposite side walls of the wider fuel chamber, means for supplying liquid fuel. to the wider chamber, and a fuel duct for supplying fuel from the wider chamber to the relatively narrow chamber.

18. A burner of the class described having a base and a plurality of spaced interconnected, annular, combustion chambers with an intermediate air supply chamber between said combustion chambers, an annular fuel channel in said base beneath each combustion chamber, one of said channels being relatively wider than the other and having a Wall overlying the channel and underlying a part of said intermediate air chamber but spaced from the opposite sides of said fuel chamber to provide a narrow opening, and spaced combustion tubes in surrounding and upstanding relation to said narrow opening.

19. A burner of the class described having a base and a plurality of spaced, annular, combustion chambers with an intermediate air supply chamber between the combustion chambers, said air chamber being closed at the top, an annular fuel channel in said base beneath each combustion chamber, one of said channels being relatively wider than the other and having a removable plate resting on the base overlying a part of said wider channel and underlying a part of said intermediate air chamber but spaced from the opposite sides of said wider fuel channel to provide a narrow opening, a fuel duct for supplying fuel from the wider channel to the relatively narrow channel, and means for supplying liquid fuel to the wider channel only.

WILLIAM EDWARD TAFT. 

